


Phantom Royale

by LovelyLotus



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Actors, Bottom Persona 5 Protagonist, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Non-Explicit Sex, Persona 5: The Royal Spoilers, Secret Relationship, Top Akechi Goro
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-19
Updated: 2021-02-19
Packaged: 2021-03-14 18:26:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29546514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LovelyLotus/pseuds/LovelyLotus
Summary: Goro Akechi and Ren Amamiya are infamous in Tokyo's glittering world of show business for their bitter rivalry.Behind the scenes, they've been in a relationship for nearly 5 years, trying to stay out of the media's suffocating eye.When they are both casted as the lead stars in Velvet Room's new production, Phantom Royale, how long will they be able to keep their secret?
Relationships: Akechi Goro/Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro/Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro/Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 27
Kudos: 191





	Phantom Royale

**Author's Note:**

  * For [corrupted_voracity](https://archiveofourown.org/users/corrupted_voracity/gifts).



> Happy Birthday, schatz! I love you <3 This is probably one of the softest things I've written.

Goro glanced at his watch again, anticipation sparking with every tick of the second hand. The time was the same as the last time he’d checked and the time before that too. Quarter to seven. The TV buzzed low in the background.

The Presidential Suite at the hotel they’d arranged for this time was set up more like a luxury apartment. The sitting area, where Goro was now, had plush couches lined with stiff red velvet and a stained glass coffee table with clawed feet. A wall of glass overlooked the skyline of Tokyo at night, city lights like floating lanterns. A name spoken on the television caught his attention.

“We have a special guest tonight. Give a hand for Ren Amamiya, one of Japan’s rising stars and the Venus of Show Biz here in Tokyo.”

Ren was in his Armani, the gray one that brought out his eyes. He greeted the hosts and the audience, sending a flying kiss out into the crowd.

“Hello, how are you doing tonight?” the male host asked.

“I’m doing alright,” Ren answered, a graceful smile on his face. Goro saw Ren’s hand twitch and knew he was barely stopping himself from fiddling with his curls. They were elegantly swept back with gel, exposing Ren’s high cheekbones and piercing eyes. The hairstylist had done a decent job with his hair for once.

The host and hostess lobbed Ren a few more easy questions about his upcoming movie before they turned to what they really wanted to know: the gossip. Pack of vultures; Goro loathed them all.

“Amamiya-san, how’s your girlfriend doing?” the host asked, lips contorted into a stupid smug smile. 

Goro wanted to cave his bleached teeth in with a well-placed fist.

“Sorry?” Ren asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“Ann Takamaki. Your co-star for _Carmen._ You both were spotted grabbing dinner together at—”

Ren cut him off with a laugh, smiling charismatically. “Very funny, Haruki-san, but there’s nothing between Ann and I.” Goro could see the rigidness of his form, his closed off posture, and darkened eyes. It belied his annoyance. “Please don’t get me wrong, Ann is a lovely person and a good friend of mine from our school days, but friends is all we are.” 

“Come now, Amamiya-san. Are you telling us you spent all that time with Takamaki-san and nothing happened? You both had several intimate scenes together in _Carmen_ , and some could argue an intimate past. You’ve never felt anything for her, no attraction? No spark?”

Goro rolled his eyes irritatedly. It was called _acting._

Idiots. 

“I like to think of actors as magicians, Haruki-san. We create a convincing illusion of intimacy and love, and that illusion is what people fall for. It’s a delicate balance, so I can understand why people often mistake on-set chemistry with real life compatibility, but at the end of the day, Ann and I are only good friends.”

“Amamiya-san, I’ve heard rumors you’re a method actor. When you do method acting, how do you avoid falling in love with your co-stars?” the hostess wondered.

Ren covered his mouth, laughing. His watch gleamed black and silver on his wrist. Goro had bought it for him last year for his birthday.

“It’s true that I’m a method actor, Suzuki-san. So I try to use my real life experiences to fuel a realistic performance—”

“So are you in a relationship?” the hostess interrupted eagerly. 

Ren fiddled with his watch. Goro knew what he had to say, but that didn’t mean he liked hearing it.

“No.”

“Then how do you make the romance so convincing?” she trailed off.

“Just because I’m not in a relationship doesn’t mean I don’t know what it’s like to be in love, Suzuki-san,” Ren teased gently, devilish smirk on his face. 

Goro scowled, face hot. _This_ was exactly why they called him a playboy behind his back. A Casanova. A flirt. Venus was putting it sweetly.

Goro had thought the same about Ren until they’d gone past kissing for the first time and he’d realized just how inexperienced Ren actually was, for all his work playing the flirtatious Romeo or the seductive lead in rom coms and dramas. 

But nobody knew that other side of Ren but him. Nobody knew how Ren looked when he was flustered—how he looked after Goro kissed him—touched him—his shy, affectionate, clingy side. How he melted like a cat in the sunlight when Goro littered kisses on his neck or his collar bones. 

All of that was Goro’s. 

But nobody knew. 

“What does it feel like?” the hostess asked.

“Being in love?” Ren paused, unconsciously mimicking Goro’s thinking pose. He got a look in his eyes that made Goro’s heart stir. “It’s… It’s painful. It feels like someone else holds all of you, like they own all of you. Without them, you feel almost physically incomplete. Like you’re waiting for someone to finish your thought and there’s just silence. But when you’re together, or talking to them, or holding them, it feels… like a sun in your heart. It’s unbelievably warm and exciting. Euphoric. They’re constantly surprising you, challenging you, making you better. But they make you feel so safe at the same time.”

Goro bit his lip hard, unexpectedly touched. That idiot. 

“The way you speak of it… are you in love with someone right now?”

Goro leaned forward.

“Not… really.” Ren sounded pained, like even saying that much of a denial was too hard for him.

Goro growled, almost hurling a pillow at the TV. What was with that milquetoast response? It would just start a new round of rumours. Fool. Idiot. Goro wanted to punch Ren’s stupid mouth with his mouth.

“So then, are these the feelings you tried to convey in your role as Escamillo in _Carmen_?”

“Yes,” Ren said with a smile. “That’s exactly right. Carmen is the most important character, the driving force of the story, so constructing a character was really centered in responding to Ann’s lead and trying to match her vibe. Since it was a reimagined version of the story, there was also that angle to consider.”

“Please do tell us more,” the host asked. “I’ve heard many impressive things about your skills in acting as well. You’re often called the man with a hundred faces by directors—”

The hotel door beeped with a keycard swipe and Goro’s breath caught in his throat. He barely stopped himself from rushing to the entryway. Instead, he changed the channel, switched off the TV, turned back on the TV, put his feet down, brushed his lap off even though there was nothing on it, put his legs back up, then down again, and desperately tried to remember the greeting he’d practiced in the mirror that morning. 

The door swung open and shut and Goro heard the hurried clatter of Ren toeing off his shoes and throwing off his blazer, but before he could say a single studied welcoming word, Ren was wrapped around him, sitting mostly in his lap, clinging to Goro so tightly nothing could fit between them. Goro’s whole body burned with feverish relief.

“Honey, I’m home,” Ren mumbled, sticking his cold face in the crook of Goro’s neck. His nose was freezing. 

“Took you long enough,” Goro grumbled, mentally flinging his practiced hello into the trash can like an ill-constructed paper airplane. He tucked one arm around Ren’s back, his stomach swooping like a flock of butterflies were putting on a play inside.

Ren kissed his cheek adoringly.

“I’m so sorry, Sherlock. My co-star kept flubbing his line. I promise I came as fast as I could. Will you forgive me?”

“Forgiveness has to be earned,” Goro said, feigning petulance.

Ren raised a mischievous eyebrow. “Oh? How do I earn it then?”

Goro glared. “You know how, you fool.”

Ren laughed, soft and impish. He leaned in and kissed Goro chastely on the lips. 

He tasted like strawberries. His signature lip gloss. Goro’s heart pounded at the soft press of Ren’s mouth. It had been weeks. They texted and called and Facetimed when they could, but it was never enough. Ren’s lips moved down to trace the underside Goro’s jaw flurrying sticky kisses down a ticklish line.

“I missed you so much,” Ren admitted breathily between kisses. “Did you miss me t— mmph!” Goro yanked Ren’s mouth back to his, biting down on Ren’s lower lip hard before sucking on it soothingly. Ren made a low sound in his throat, eyes fluttering shut, his arms slipping around Goro.

Goro shoved Ren down onto the couch, hovering over him to kiss him deeper and deeper. He knew Ren by heart, but even his most vivid memories were hopelessly outmatched by _this_. The world collapsed bit by bit, spinning around them faster and faster until everything blurred out of focus but them.

After Ren had been thoroughly riled up, Goro sat back to trace his swollen lips with a thumb, hungrily admiring the view. Ren blinked, dazed and confused on the sofa as to why the kissing stopped, his curls all mussed up and his sock-clad toes curling against Goro’s thigh. 

_Mine._

Goro smirked down at Ren who immediately flushed bright pink, scowling. He reached blindly for the pillow behind him on the couch and whacked Goro with it. 

Goro quickly snatched the pillow from Ren’s hands and whacked him back with it multiple times to prove his superiority at pillow fights. 

“Goro,” Ren complained, trying to block the battery with his arms. 

“Ren,” Goro replied sweetly, hitting him with the pillow again. Ren tried to sit up to snatch it back but Goro pushed him down again, lifting the pillow out of reach. 

Something fierce sparked in Ren’s eyes. There it was. Between them, Goro was generally the more competitive one, but every so often—

Ack!

“Ren, you evil—!!” Goro broke off, cursing, jolting away from the fingers that had run up his side, spider-quick, tickling and pinching him. Ren knew his sides were sensitive goddamnit. 

Ren grabbed the pillow back in Goro’s moment of distraction. But instead of whacking him like Goro expected, Ren simply tossed the pillow to the floor. 

Then he reached for Goro, pulling him back down to fold up in his arms like they could meld into one just like this. 

Goro pressed their foreheads together as they crushed each other so close neither of them could breath, reveling in feeling whole again, even if it was only for today. He could almost feel Ren’s heartbeat just through the press of their skin. Ren’s pulse matched Goro’s.

After a ridiculously long time had passed, they separated, barely.

“Do you want to take a bath together?” Ren asked, just like Goro knew he would. It was one of their favorite traditions.

Goro nodded.

*

They showered first, hands lingering over each other’s bodies briefly, soaping each other up. Ren reached for the shampoo to work his fingers through Goro’s hair. Goro grabbed the bottle after he was done to return the favor. They rinsed after conditioner, pat drying and wearing the thick cotton bathrobes the hotel had provided.

Goro got the hot water running while Ren lit the scented candles Goro had set up around the copper bathtub earlier. They blinked softly in the low lights, reflecting off the metal. After they were lit, Ren started up their playlist and ‘No More What Ifs’ came crooning out of the speaker. Goro poured lavender bath oil into the tub and some bath salt. Ren sat close to him on the tub’s edge, stroking a hand up and down Goro’s thigh as he lip-synced the words absent-mindedly. It was… extremely… distracting. 

Goro pinched Ren’s thigh in retaliation and mouthed the words back.

_Who knows what tomorrow holds? Just wanna live my life the way I want._

Ren’s smile glowed.

Once the bath was filled, Goro reached for the jar of facemask he’d placed earlier on the counter. He was a dedicated— 

“Obsessive,” Ren coughed under his breath. Goro elbowed him until he wheezed. 

—scholar of skincare and this was guaranteed to hydrate their faces, giving them a dewy fresh glow. 

He passed Ren the ridiculous cat ears spa headband he liked so much, so he could push his damp curls back. Ren slipped it into place, exposing his pale forehead. Goro put his own headband on. Unfortunately, his headband had cat ears as well because he’d trusted Ren to buy his as well some time ago. Ren reached out immediately to tug playfully on Goro’s cat ears. Goro pushed his hand away.

“Close your eyes,” Goro ordered.

Ren complied.

Goro applied the face mask all over Ren’s face, avoiding his mouth and eyelashes. Ren winced at the sudden coolness of the wet mask. Lavender-scented steam was already filling the bathroom. After Ren’s face was covered, he took the bottle from Goro to return the favor.

Ren’s fingers were gentle, tracing the slopes of Goro’s brow and cupid bow, applying the mask. He snuck a quick kiss to Goro’s lips before finishing the application. Goro kissed him back grumpily. They were going to mess up the face masks if they kept doing this. Goro set the jar back on the marble counter.

The bathrobes slipped off and they settled in the heat of the water, Ren sitting back against him, leaning against his chest. Goro draped one arm around his waist, marvelling again at how comfortable holding Ren felt. Like their bodies were carved for each other. Ren reached for Goro’s other hand, lacing their fingers together. Goro turned his head down to kiss Ren’s shoulder absent-mindedly and Ren’s skin immediately flushed. Goro smiled smugly because Ren was always so sensitive. 

It was only because that sensitivity was exclusive to Goro that Ren could even act in romance films at all. 

To the rest of the world, Ren had a cool, unflappable composure. He was known for his calm charisma, along with the accidental seduction of half of his co-stars. 

Goro’s blood boiled a little thinking about the latter. He knew he was Ren’s most important person, Ren had informed him of that on many occasions, but sometimes the desire to claim him in front of the rest of the world was overwhelming. He wanted to show everyone how good they were together. That they belonged to each other. 

Ren snuggled back into his chest like a cat.

“How long do we have?” There was a heavy reluctance in his voice, even as he posed the question. 

“I have an interview tomorrow at 8pm,” Goro answered, just as reluctantly.

Ren sighed, sinking down into the water, submerging his collarbones.

“I guess we’ll make the best of it.”

They were always doing that. 

It wasn’t right or fair, but it was all they had.

The music and heat sank into their bones, and their legs twined underwater.

They began to talk. Softly at first to not disrupt the atmosphere, then more quickly and loudly as they caught up on each other’s lives, filling in the blank spaces of their lost time like solving a crossword puzzle. All the things they’d never said over the phone or text. All the little complaints and worries that’d tangled up inside them since the last time they’d seen each other. It was cathartic, a heavy knot of tension unwinding in Goro’s chest. 

After the water had grown lukewarm, they washed the masks off in the sink and dried off. 

Ren rubbed moisturizer into his face, swiping ice cold lotion across Goro’s nose. 

Goro grumbled at the sudden chill. He rubbed the moisturizer into his skin in brisk upward movements, grabbing more from Ren’s jar.

They changed into pajamas quickly, after bath chill setting in. Goro wrapped his hair up in a towel while Ren’s hair air-dried in wavy loops across his forehead.

Ren got out his wide-tooth comb and Goro took it from him immediately, wanting to do this small thing for Ren. He carded the comb through Ren’s curls, more gently than he brushed even his own hair. Ren stared at him through the mirror, eyes softening like the silver edge of a cloud. Goro looked down, too overwhelmed by the feelings swirling in the pit of his stomach. He just focused on Ren’s hair, sorting out the tangles and knots until it was smooth and soft as always. His curls would eventually dry into the fluff Goro loved winding his fingers through and pulling on.

When Goro was done, he handed Ren back the comb to be put away. 

“What do you want to eat for dinner tonight, honey?” Ren asked mischievously, zipping up his bag. They did this every time. The husbands game.

They’d already decided on dinner. Ren’s curry. Goro had gone grocery shopping before Ren had arrived so they’d have everything they would need to make it. 

Goro rolled his eyes, trying to smother his smile. 

“I don’t know, darling. You know I don’t mind anything,” he drawled, playing along. 

“Then how about curry?” Ren suggested. 

“We ate curry yesterday. And the day before. And all of last week. I think there are still leftovers in our fridge. Is that the only thing you know how to make?”

Ren blinked. 

“But you love my curry,” he said, blankly, like he couldn’t believe the slander he was hearing. Ren’s lower lip trembled. “Do… Do you not like it anymore?”

“Um,” Goro said dumbly, cursing his weak heart. 

Ren wiped a tear away, clutching at his chest like it was in pain. Drama Queen.

“If you hate it that much, then you can cook today, _Amamiya-san_.”

Goro’s face turned an embarrassing color at the term of endearment.

“No,” he immediately replied, building up his resolve to act like an absolute fool. Ren always brought out the worst, most shameless part of him. He reached for Ren’s hands and Ren’s eyes widened. “I’ll eat curry every day, _Akechi-san_ , as long as you’re the one who’s making it for me.” He brought Ren’s hands to his mouth and kissed Ren’s knuckles.

Ren made a startled sound, yanking his hands back to cover his face. He was bright scarlet. Goro laughed internally. Ren could deal it out but he couldn’t take any heat. It amused Goro endlessly.

Ren cleared his throat, still covering his face. “That was embarrassingly earnest. 10 out of 10, Goro Akechi. Have you considered starring in a rom com?”

“Oh? Did I make the Venus of Japan’s heart flutter?”

Ren spluttered. “No.”

“If you say so,” Goro teased.

“You didn’t.”

“Liar.” 

“Well that’s my job,” Ren quipped back, eyes shining because it was the oldest joke in the book and they both knew it. “And yours too, Sherlock. Now come be my sous chef.”

*

*

*

Goro chopped the vegetables as Ren prepared the base and roux. He tossed the onions into the pan when Ren directed him to do so and they started sizzling in the oil, pearly and translucent. Goro washed the rice afterwards, adding the appropriate ratio of water in the cooker. 

When Goro’s role was done, he wrapped his arms around Ren’s waist and watched Ren cook the rest. Ren ran a hand down his arm absent-mindedly after pouring the broth. He combined the roux paste and base mixing until it was blended, then added his homemade curry cubes, crushing them into little pieces. Everything melted together and Goro could feel his mouth start to water. Finally, Ren added the potatoes, sealing the pot to let the curry simmer.

Ren turned around, returning the hug before leaning forward to kiss Goro, achingly soft. Goro met him halfway, their noses bumping lazily. Ren smelled like spices, coffee, and his usual cologne.

“Ah, honey, I wanted to ask you something,” Ren said, when they parted for air. 

“Your next role?”

Ren nodded. 

“Okay, show me the offers,” Goro said eagerly. It was a point of pride for him that Ren always relied on him to help pick his projects. They were a team.

Ren went to get his bag, laying out two folders in front of Goro. 

“I narrowed it to these two.”

Goro read through each one carefully.

“Which one did Maruki advise you to take?” Goro asked with narrowed eyes. Maruki was Ren’s incompetent, feeble-minded manager 

Ren pointed at the folder Goro knew he would.

“Maruki said sticking with my strong suit may be best, since I’ve never acted in a role like the other one, and people may struggle to see me fit into a darker, more psychological part.”

“You’re going to get typecasted at this rate,” Goro complained. Ren’s last two movies before _Carmen_ had been romantic comedies and he was filming one now. Enough was enough. “No more rom coms, please, Ren. If not for your sake, do it for mine.”

“You don’t have to watch every one, you know? I know they’re kind of boring,” Ren said self-deprecatingly.

Goro snorted. “Shut up. Your acting is fine. But the scripts are predictable and trite. How are you going to stand next to me at the top of the acting world if you never challenge yourself with something that needs more from you?” Ren’s eyes flashed fierce and defiant, just like Goro knew they would. _His rival._ He wanted Ren to look at him like this forever. “It’s a Velvet Room Production. You know it’s a guaranteed hit, darling. And you’re good enough that you can _make_ people see you any way you want.” 

“I don’t want to discard what Maruki said either,” Ren said, weakly. Goro barely disguised his eye roll. “People see me a certain way and this role would change that… I’ve never really done something like this.”

“ _Interrogation Room_ ,” Goro argued immediately. The first movie he’d ever seen of Ren. He’d actually been filming in the same studio at the time so he’d gotten to see Ren act live when he’d come early to shooting. That was before they knew each other. It was actually what led to them knowing each other at all. It was an Indie film and still one of the most overwhelming, raw performances Goro had ever seen in his life. It had changed everything.

“Nobody’s watched _Interrogation Room_ ,” Ren immediately protested. 

“Everybody _should_ watch _Interrogation Room_ ,” Goro grumbled. “But seriously, Ren. Aren’t you exhausted from trying to be what people want from you all the time? You always do this. Even with your so-called friends. Stop thinking about what other people need and just focus on what you want for once.”

“You’re one to talk about public appearances,” Ren grumbled back. “You’re the Prince of Japan.” He twisted his fingers through his bangs frustratedly and Goro reached for his hand, squeezing it.

“Tell me, which one did you really want to do, in your heart?” Goro asked.

Ren hesitated.

Finally, he pointed at the same folder Goro had chosen. 

“Don’t think for once,” Goro urged. “Just do it.”

Ren sighed, massaging Goro’s hand back. 

“Okay. I’ll text Maruki to accept this one then.”

“When are you getting a new manager?” Goro asked. 

Ren rolled his eyes, collecting the folders.

“I already told you I can’t do that,” Ren huffed. “Maruki was assigned to me by my agency. He’s been there since my first days.”

“But he’s useless. He has no ambition for you,” Goro complained.

“Well you have enough ambition for both of us, so I think it balances out,” Ren pointed out, amused.

Goro reached for his chin, pulling him into a kiss. “I have ambition for a reason, idiot. When we’re both the top actors of Japan we can finally…”

Ren’s lips interrupted him, their mouths mashing together again messily. 

“Yes,” Ren breathed into Goro’s mouth, pulling back slightly to twist his fingers in Goro’s hair. “We can be together.”

“No pretenses,” Goro added, heart heavy, hands slipping to hold Ren’s slim waist as their kiss grew even more heated. They’d said it for so long it almost seemed like a fairy tale at this point. Ren reached for Goro’s shirt and Goro let him pull it off. “No one will be able to tell us anything.”

“Yes,” Ren repeated, letting Goro yank off his shirt as well. He held Goro’s face tenderly, staring at Goro with something like disbelief on his face. “You’re mine,” he murmured, like it was a revelation and not a fact. 

Goro’s eyes burned, prickling.

“And you’re mine.” He tugged Ren’s curls, leaning in to mouth at Ren’s neck, overwhelmed. 

A tear from Ren’s face splashed onto Goro’s cheek and Ren brushed it away wordlessly, like he didn’t want Goro to notice. Goro’s heart contorted painfully.

He reached for Ren’s hand before Ren could drop it.

*

*

*

*

*

*

They ate dinner, chatting about their coworkers.

“You told Ann?”

“Well, she told me first. She’s been dating Shiho Suzui for almost 2 years now. She said I could tell you.”

“The volleyball player?” Goro asked.

Ren nodded. 

Goro and Ren were almost going on 4 years now. 5 years, if the time before they’d properly started dating counted. They’d met when they both were still young, 18 and 19, and gotten together a year later after being frenemies for a while. Now, they were still best friends and rivals, but their relationship had deepened beyond what either of them had really expected. 

It was ridiculous how long they’d been going on like this, clandestine meetings once a month if they were lucky. 

Would they ever be able to have the life they wanted together?

Goro craved that more than anything. Ren was his partner. His other half. The love of his life, though such a sentimental phrase was more suited to Ren’s vocabulary.

Ren stuck his cold feet against Goro’s calf and Goro almost cursed out loud. He went through a few choice ones in his head anyway.

“I’m so cold, Goro,” Ren complained. “See?”

Goro hissed, kicking Ren’s feet away. “Wear a fucking pair of socks, then.”

“You won’t warm me up?” Ren whined.

“No. Keep your icy feet to yourself.”

“Goro,” Ren complained.

“Ren,” Goro answered mercilessly.

“You’re so mean to me,” Ren complained, pouting.

“Good thing you’re into it.”

Ren made a strangled sound in his throat before kicking him under the table. Goro kicked back. 

After dinner, they retreated to bed. Goro fetched his chess set so they could play.

Ren burrowed into the sheets, curling into blanket burrito. Goro slid in next to him and Ren immediately clung to him, latching onto his warmth. Goro set the board balancing across their hips. 

“Wait, Goro… I want ice cream.”

Goro sighed. “Five seconds ago, you were freezing your toes off. Now you want to eat ice cream?”

“Please,” Ren begged.

“Why do I have to get it?”

“Because I’m cold and if I leave the blankets I’m going to die of hypothermia.”

“Then don’t eat ice cream, idiot.”

“But I want some.”

Goro pinched Ren’s cheek hard.

“Too bad.”

Ren leaned over, kissing him. Playing dirty.

“Please, babe,” he begged. So shameless. 

Fuck.

“I bought strawberry for you,” Goro muttered, moving the board to the side.

“You know me so well,” Ren sang, still holding on to his hand.

“Yeah, yeah,” Goro grumbled, standing up. Their hands slipped apart slowly, like neither of them wanted to let go.

Five minutes later, he brought two bowls back. Strawberry for Ren and vanilla for himself. Ren thanked him eagerly with another kiss.

Goro set the chess board up again. 

“If you turn over the board this time, you instantly lose,” he threatened.

“Last time I only turned over to kiss you back,” Ren defended.

Goro snorted. “Yeah right. No, you turned over because you were losing.”

“No! You kissed me first, Goro. You were the one who was losing, so you tried petty distraction techniques.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“ _Yes_ ,” Ren insisted.

“Well, if my distraction techniques are so petty, why did you fall for them then?” Goro jeered.

Ren huffed, playing with his bangs. “The game slipped my mind because I already knew I was winning.”

“The game slipped your mind?” Goro smirked, ignoring the second part of the statement. “Are you really so affected by my lips?”

“They’re very potent,” Ren mumbled.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Goro leaned over so their mouths were mere centimeters away from each other. 

“How potent?” he asked.

Ren’s eyes flickered to his lips, eyes darkening hungrily, before he pushed him away.

“No. It’s not going to work this time, Goro Akechi.” 

Goro laughed, arm curling around Ren’s waist under the blankets. 

_We’ll see_.

*

*

*

Goro nudged Ren. It was past 2 AM, and they were on their fifth match. The first two games had devolved into heated makeout sessions. Afterwards, they’d put the ceramic hotel bowls in the sink and brushed their teeth, turning off the lights and returning to play more seriously. Ren had won the third match and Goro the fourth. He’d taken longer to figure out his move this time, and Ren had fallen asleep during Goro’s turn.

“Ren, wake up.”

“I’m not sleeping,” Ren slurred, eyes not opening. 

“Ren?”

No response.

“ _Ren_.”

Goro poked at his cheek and Ren’s brow furrowed.

“Do you resign?”

“No, never,” Ren muttered in his sleep.

 _Pfft_. 

Goro laughed, putting the chessboard away. He plugged his phone in for charging and turned the bedside lamp off. Then he reached for Ren, pulling him close, kissing his forehead. Ren shifted into him instinctively, tucked under his chin.

“Goodnight,” Goro whispered into his curls. Ren hummed and Goro hugged him tighter.

*

*

*

Hours later, he was still sleepless.

He shifted, curling around Ren. He wanted to savor every second of this, burn it into his mind. He wanted to memorize Ren. Memorize the heat of their bodies together like this. Memorize the layout of this moment down to the second, the centimeter, the bone, so he could recreate this every night he wouldn’t get this. 

And those nights were endless. 

Doubt was piercing his mind like a thorn. A splinter he could never get out. 

_Can we really keep going like this?_

These years they’d been together they’d settled into a somewhat comfortable, if lacking, routine. 

Most of Goro’s life was dull, numbing emptiness, shuttling from set to set, job to job. The endless waiting, interviews, directors, scenes, scripts. And then every so often the cosmos and schedules aligned enough that they could see each other. 

_Ren_.

Holding him, talking with him, touching him, being with him, it didn’t feel real. Not tangible. Not something Goro could hold on to, no matter how desperately they clung to each other. 

Even sleeping cradled in bed together, their breaths intermingling, Goro was only dreading the emptiness their parting would bring. Even with Ren in his arms, he could only think of the moment when his arms would be empty again. Even kissing Ren, he could only think about losing him. 

It was like the loneliness had seeped into his bones. 

He didn’t sleep for a long time.

*

*

*

He woke up to the feeling of Ren peppering kisses all over his face.

Goro’s heavy eyes opened slowly, puffy from sleep deprivation. Ren appeared to him bright as sunlight, smiling like a fool.

“Good morning, love.”

Happiness surged in Goro’s chest before it curdled like milk, the anxiousness from last night seeping through, staining everything with a numbing sense of dread. Fuck. Why was this happening?

“Good morning,” Goro replied stiffly, trying to stifle his panic. 

Ren stilled.

“What’s wrong?” Ren asked, gazing at Goro like the anxiousness had started piercing his heart too.

The silence spun almost uncomfortably long.

Goro stared blankly, the words like stones in his chest. He turned on his side, looking at Ren.

“Ren… can I ask you something?”

Ren nodded, tensely.

“Are you… happy like this?”

Ren looked taken aback. “What?”

“I was thinking…” Goro hesitated. “How long can we keep doing this?” he asked, the words cutting through his chest even as they came out.

“What are you talking about?” Ren asked, terse. 

“This arrangement isn’t sustainable. We barely get to see each other.”

“And? It’s not… it’s not going to be like this forever.”

Goro stayed silent.

“Goro, talk to me,” Ren demanded. “Are you… are you saying we should… b-break up?” 

Goro opened and closed his mouth, struggling to find the words, panic spiralling.

Ren blinked a tear out of his eye. Then another.

Goro was a shitty boyfriend through and through. 

“I’m not saying that… Just that… You deserve more than this, Ren—more than me. I’m sorry.” 

Ren swiped at his eyes in angry, jerky motions.

“This again? You _asshole_. I don’t want anyone else but you. How many times do I have to tell you until you get it? Have you gotten bored of me?”

“No!” Goro immediately answered, panicked. “Never.”

Ren narrowed his eyes. “I want to be with you. I don’t care if it’s hard or lonely. It’s worth it for me. So stop talking nonsense.”

“Ren… I’m… I’m sorry.”

“You better be. Jerk,” Ren hissed, rubbing at his eyes.

“You make me the happiest,” Goro confessed awkwardly, hoping it would make Ren stop crying.

“You do too, when you’re not pulling shit like this,” Ren huffed, dragging the blanket over his head. His eyes were red.

“Ren.” Goro poked at the mound of blankets. 

Ren didn’t reply. 

“Ren, I… I didn’t mean we should break up. I want to be with you too. For as long as you want me.”

Silence. 

Goro yanked the blankets away briefly so he could curl underneath them with Ren. Ren immediately turned, his back to Goro, still upset. 

Goro traced a finger up and down Ren’s spine. 

“I get scared sometimes,” he admitted. “Scared that you’re not going to want to do this anymore one day.”

“You don’t think I’m scared?” Ren asked, furiously. 

Goro winced. 

“Don’t suggest things you don’t mean. It’s painful.”

Goro’s heart trembled. He hadn’t meant to— 

“Ren…” Goro started. He broke off, reaching for Ren’s shoulder instead. He kissed the nape of Ren’s neck. “Ren… please. I’m sorry. I don’t want to break up.”

Ren turned, eyes burning like ash. 

“Then don’t bring it up again.”

“I won’t,” Goro promised, pulling Ren into a searing kiss. “I love you.”

“I’m still mad,” Ren insisted, even as his body went pliant in Goro’s arms. “I hate it when you try to push me away. Just be honest with me. When you keep telling me we should stop this, it makes me think you don’t want me anymore.”

“I always want you,” Goro mumbled, holding Ren tight. “Always. It’s unbearable without you.”

“It’s unbearable without you too,” Ren replied, eyes finally softening. “So don’t lose faith in us.”

Goro pulled Ren into a rougher kiss. Ren’s hand cupped Goro’s cheek, his other hand tightening in Goro’s hair as he parted his lips, submitting to Goro’s rhythm. Goro’s heart was spinning faster than a top.

They kissed again and again and again, devotion burning in Goro’s chest.

“Do you want to—?” Goro asked, heart pooling liquid fire.

“Yeah,” Ren said, breathless. 

Pushing Ren down onto the bed, Goro kept their lips connected, unwilling to break off even for air right now. He slid a knee between Ren’s thighs, smirking when Ren moaned helplessly into Goro’s mouth. Ren tried to cover his blushing face, but Goro pulled his hand away, pinning it above his head.

“I want to see you.”

Ren was red as a strawberry. Goro leaned in to kiss him again, slipping a hand under his shirt to tweak at his nipples. Ren jerked back like he was electrocuted.

“Goro,” Ren complained.

“You’re so sensitive,” Goro replied, mercilessly rolling the pink nub of Ren’s right nipple between his fingers, playing with it. Ren gasped, squirming. Goro smirked again internally, pleased at the reaction. 

“Stop teasing,” Ren hissed. 

Goro kissed Ren’s temples and flicked Ren’s left nipple at the same time, pinching it. Ren cursed into his mouth, his back arching in a beautiful curve. Goro grabbed Ren’s waist, lifting his hips even higher to slide a pillow underneath. Ren’s pajama shirt slid down his chest from the new position and Goro kissed his nipples before tracing a line with his lips to the black cashmere waistband of Ren’s pajama pants. 

“Ren?” Goro asked. “Can I—”

Ren nodded. Goro leaned forward so their foreheads touched briefly. He bracketed Ren with his forearms and Ren clutched at him. 

“Goro—you’re… _everything_ — _my_ everything,” Ren mumbled in his ear, cheeks flushing with embarrassment. Goro’s heart stopped at the words, fluttering like the weak thing it was.

“You’re my everything too,” he confessed, voice wrecked.

Their bodies came together desperately, grasping each other so tight they left bruises everywhere, blooming on their thighs and hips. Goro couldn’t think when he had Ren like this. 

He wanted to spend hours between Ren’s legs, driving Ren insane with just his mouth and fingers until Ren was begging for him. But that could come later. They were both aching for each other too much right now to last much longer.

A trembling ocean of boiling light was spilling over in Goro’s mind with every thrust, scalding white heat washing over him. Ren was practically burning up inside, like molten silk.

“Faster,” Ren demanded, tugging Goro down on top of him so their bodies were flush in an embrace, overlapping in a pulsing wave of fire. The angle changed and Ren gasped in his ear, nails raking down Goro’s back. Goro moaned, his back tingling with pain.

It only took a few more thrusts before Ren was screaming Goro’s name, undone. Goro followed him shortly, blacking out momentarily from the blinding orgasm wracking through his body. His mind dissolved to heat and light and _Ren Ren Ren_ and he collapsed onto the shivering body below him. 

When he was coherent enough to move, Goro dragged the blankets up, wrapping Ren in his arms.

They’d just had make-up sex, Goro realized with a start. They were so far from a traditional couple that every time they did do a normal couple thing, it felt special. Even something as inherently stressful as this.

The tension was gone now. 

Goro’s chest was light.

He kissed Ren gently, their lips gliding over each other. 

“You’re beautiful,” Ren murmured against his collarbone. 

“That’s my line,” Goro replied, tracing Ren’s dark eyelashes with his thumb. He made a silent vow and pulled Ren’s face towards his so he could let his lips linger against Ren’s forehead. _I love you._

Goro never wanted to leave this bed. His whole world was right here.

*

*

* 

They brushed their teeth together after a quick shower, making faces at each other in the mirror. They always tried to avoid leaving overly visible marks, but they’d gotten a little carried away this time. The makeup artists were going to despise them, but Goro couldn’t bring himself to care. They’d probably hidden a lot worse.

He did his usual skincare routine while Ren called room service to order late breakfast for both of them. It arrived on a silver tray just ten minutes later, still steaming.

They ate on the balcony, the potted flowers on the railing giving them some privacy. The sun was inching around the glass curve of the hotel.

Goro handed Ren his script.

“Which scene?” Ren asked.

“The one that starts in the pub.”

Ren flipped to the right page. He scanned over his lines quickly. Goro knew he was crafting a persona, not as detailed as the ones he usually developed for his roles, but enough to help Goro practice. Ren slipped it over his face like donning a veil. 

Seeing him transform was always so fascinating.

Start.

“You followed me here, Kyoya?” Ren tilted his head, crossing his arms and legs, lounging back. His face was cold, unimpressed. Unreachable.

“Don’t flatter yourself.” Goro snorted. “I’m here to get a drink, same as anyone else.”

Goro waved a hand, as if summoning the bartender.

“I already said I’m not telling you anything,” Ren said, nursing his glass of orange juice like it was prime whiskey. 

“I didn’t ask,” Goro snapped back.

Ren stared into the glass.

They let the silence stew.

“Your selfishness put Miyako in hell,” Ren hissed, slamming his orange juice whiskey on the table after nearly 5 minutes. His delivery was smooth; wrathful. “She used to tell me everything, so I know. And now that she’s dead you’ve come like a little caracara to see what scraps you can get people to regurgitate out.”

“I just want the truth, Takeshi,” Goro said calmly, feeling the immense pressure of Ren’s anger swell in the air next to him. Excitement fluttered in his stomach at getting to act with Ren, even if it was just practice. He was the only one who could keep up with Goro. 

Ren huffed. “Don’t call me that. You’ve lost the right.”

The scene continued, the conversation winding round and round like a snake preparing to strike. The energy was almost palpable. Goro wished Ren had been the one cast to act opposite him in the drama. Practicing together always spoiled him. He couldn’t expect anywhere near this level from his co-star. Unless he teased it out with his own acting skills, which, the more he thought about it, would be likely.

It ended too soon, both of them slipping out of their masks and veils easily enough. It was like coming down from a fever high.

“Do you feel ready now?” Ren asked, handing the script back to him.

Goro nodded. 

“Do you ever wonder why we’ve never been casted together in anything?” Ren wondered out loud, buttering his toast. 

Goro stole the other slice from Ren’s plate taking a bite. He wrinkled his nose. Ren liked his bread so toasted it was almost black. He’d stick with his pancakes any day.

“It was after the whole thing with Okumura. They think we have bad blood. Mortal rivals and enemies, that kind of thing.”

Ren rolled his eyes. “It’s not like we’re going to break out into a fistfight in the middle of the set.”

Goro smirked. “You never know, darling.”

Ren raised a thoughtful eyebrow. “I guess we’re both pretty passionate people,” he said, gazing at Goro, resting his chin on his fist. They traded smirks, Ren’s gray pearl eyes flashing excitedly.

“There’s many kinds of passion,” Goro said, in the tone he used to lecture Ren (or _geek-out_ as Ren called it). “What’s fascinating is the same state can foster both positive and bitter emotions. Passion is used in both senses.”

“I only know the bitter kind of passion,” Ren said, in an overly serious way that made Goro want to laugh.

“Oh?” Goro replied.

“Yeah. I’ve never had a boyfriend or anything before, you know? So I only know the chaste passion of rivals.”

Goro half-spat, half-sputtered out his orange juice, fake-coughing in the last minute to not ruin the game. He took half a second to collect himself before leaning forward predatorily, resting his chin on his fist and narrowing his eyes.

“You’ve never had a boyfriend, Amamiya-san? Ah, it’s surprising just how innocent you are. Well I suppose that explains some things. It seems you don’t know how quickly one form of passion can convert to another. Love and hate. They’re interchangeable, flickering back and forth, sometimes existing at the same time. As actors, we have to master expressing this aspect of it.”

“You think so?” Ren hummed contemplatively. “Hmm. I don’t know if it’s as easy as you say it is, Akechi-san. But, if you are so firm in that belief, then—” Ren tilted his head, biting his swollen bottom lip like an absolute tease. His eyes caught the light, mischief sparking, and Goro _wanted_ — “Can you show me?”

Goro had just yanked Ren in for a kiss over the breakfast table when his phone started kicking up a fuss, ringing and vibrating like it was having a fucking seizure. 

Goro narrowed his eyes at the interruption. 

Ren leaned back, breaking off the kiss, crossing his legs again. 

“Don’t you have to get that?” he asked calmly. Goro could tell he was annoyed from the look in his eyes.

“It better be fucking life or death,” Goro muttered, standing up. He pecked Ren’s cheek before entering the bedroom to take the call.

Sae. His manager. Goro glared at the phone.

“It’s my day off, Niijima-san,” Goro snarled, picking up. 

“I’m well aware, Akechi,” Sae replied coldly. “I just thought I’d inform you Velvet Room productions is considering you for a role in their new drama. They want to meet you tomorrow at 10 AM.”

Goro almost dropped the phone. New drama… Velvet Room productions… that meant…

“What role?”

“It’s a crime drama, with an element of romance and seduction between the two leads. You’re being considered for the role of the Detective. The leader of the vigilante group has already been decided.” Sae exhaled. “I’m not sure how you’re going to react to this, but they picked Ren Amamiya. I suspect they may have chosen you both because of your rivalry.”

“I see,” Goro replied neutrally, his heart pounding so fast he could hear it thump in his ears.

“Will it be an issue?”

“Not at all.”

“They want to do a chemistry test tomorrow. They apologize for the short notice, but once they decide on the two leads, they can finish casting everyone else. They’re giving you some leeway, so you won’t have to memorize the script for tomorrow.”

 _Bring it on,_ Goro thought eagerly, excitement imploding in his chest.

“That’s fine,” he said out loud.

“Do you need transportation to your interview tonight or for tomorrow?” 

“No. I can drive myself.”

“Okay. I’ll text you the address details”

“Is that all, Sae-san?” Goro asked.

“That’s all. Goodbye.” Sae hung up. 

Goro tossed his phone on to the bedside table, heart still racing. Their first time acting in a drama together. It had to be fate. Ren would be ecstatic. 

The urge to surprise him—to take him off guard was overwhelming. 

Maybe he’d keep this a secret for now.

He wandered back out to the balcony, hovering behind Ren’s chair. Ren was doodling cats on the paper napkins that had come with their breakfast. Goro leaned down, watching as Ren drew the whiskers on the chibi kitten.

“You’re glowing. Good news?” Ren asked, turning to kiss his cheek. 

“It was Sae. Information for the interview tonight,” Goro explained.

Ren nodded, not asking anymore.

“Feathermen will be on soon. Do you want to watch the next episode together?”

“Yeah,” Ren agreed immediately. “It was a cliffhanger.”

“You know Black Condor isn’t going to die,” Goro said, rolling his eyes. “He’s their most popular character.”

“But still!” Ren complained. “It was anxiety-inducing.”

“Yeah yeah.”

*

*

*

The moment to part came like a sinkhole. 

Out of nowhere, swallowing everything up.

One eye blink and then their time together was gone again.

Goro got dressed for his interview, wearing the royal blue suit he’d packed. He tightened his navy and white striped tie and Ren wolf-whistled, lying on the sofa. 

Goro flung a pillow at him, embarrassingly flattered.

Laughing, Ren caught it, almost falling off the couch. 

When it was almost time for both of them to go, Ren messed up his curls in the mirror, throwing on a pair of ridiculous fake glasses. He had donned baggy, unflattering clothes in the hopes of not being recognized. Goro reluctantly decided Ren still looked adorable like this, soft and messy, like he’d been at home all day being cuddled. 

Ren grabbed his favorite strawberry lip gloss, carefully applying it onto Goro’s mouth. Goro smacked his lips to spread it evenly. The flavor reminded him of kissing Ren, which he knew was likely the intention.

Then, Ren separated a section of his hair, braiding it neatly into some complicated design that looked like a string of hearts. He tucked it behind Goro’s ear, letting his thumb glide against Goro’s cheekbone before pulling away. He smiled, eyes sad.

“There. You’re ready.”

They kissed goodbye in the room, hugging desperately for a ridiculously long stretch of time. 

Goro knew he would most likely be seeing Ren again tomorrow, but his heart was already hurting.

They left the room at the same time, knowing the risks of being spotted together, but unable to resist spending these last few moments together. The elevator was empty, so they risked one last chaste kiss before they reached the lobby. 

“I’ll see you soon,” Goro promised.

Ren nodded. “Text me after your interview if you’re not busy.”

Goro glanced around the empty lobby before pinching Ren’s cheek.

“Idiot, I’ll call.”

Ren smiled. 

“Okay. Good luck, honey.”

The chauffeur brought Goro’s car around before handing him the keys, and then Goro was off, waving once to Ren when he knew no one was looking.

*

*

*

“Please give a warm welcome for our Prince, Goro Akechi! We’re so pleased to have you on the show tonight, Akechi-san!”

“The pleasure is all mine,” Goro replied, wearing his usual courtly smile. He greeted the audience, waving elegantly to his fans.

“Please, take a seat.”

Goro sat on the couch, neatly folding his ankles. 

“How are you doing today, Akechi-san?” the hostess asked.

Goro’s smile turned a little more genuine at the reminder of how he had spent most of his day. 

“I’m doing good,” he answered, playing with the braid in his hair. 

“That’s great!” the host said in that classic over-enthusiastic way. “How’s filming going?”

Goro smiled and nodded, irritation boiling in the pit of his stomach. The host, as expected, filled in the blanks.

“Good? That’s wonderful! You're starring with Yuuki Mishima right? How’s it going? Do you two get along?”

Goro’s eyebrow twitched inadvertently. He smiled gently to make up for it.

“Unfortunately we haven’t gotten very close over the course of filming—” despite Mishima’s numerous pathetic attempts— “but Mishima-san is very hard-working and so I can confidently say I admire his work ethic. Even if he doesn’t get the scene done in one take—” because of the stupid blunders he keeps making over and over again— “he keeps trying.”

“Oh! It sounds like you’re quite fond of him, Akechi-kun!” the host decided. Akechi dug his nails into his palm. He missed the soft, easy way Ren could read between his lines and figure out what he was really trying to say. They understood each other intrinsically, almost from the day they’d met. “Well, Akechi-san, to be honest it seems like you get along with almost everyone in the industry. Ahh, except for Amamiya-san of course.”

Goro didn’t say anything, expression not changing.

“If you had to, Akechi-san, would you work with Amamiya-san if you both were casted together in the same drama or movie?”

Goro smirked, leaning forward, heart somersaulting at the thought of tomorrow.

“Of course. Amamiya-san is my rival after all. How else will I prove my superiority unless we compete on our shared battleground?” 

The audience broke into “oohs” like they were middle schoolers cheering on a fight.

“That’s quite a bold declaration, Akechi-san. Are you so confident you would win?” the host asked.

Goro looked straight at the camera, hoping Ren was watching on the other side.

“I’m absolutely certain of it.”

*

*

*

The sinkhole expanded and expanded, everything—all of Goro—falling down into it. The first few hours after they left each other was always the worst, coming down from the ecstasy of being together—the memories almost tangible on his skin. 

Goro traced his bruises.

 _I have faith in us_ , he thought. 

They’d already finished their call, Ren falling asleep on the line. Usually, Goro had nothing to console himself with, but today he had tomorrow. 

He could see Ren again tomorrow. 

*

*

*

Goro arrived 15 minutes early, taking a seat at the U-shaped table after greeting everyone. The producer, Igor, and the Director sat in the corner, talking to each other at an inaudible volume.

Goro flipped through the script he’d been handed, the part they’d be running through for the test highlighted. Ren’s character was named Akira Kurusu. His own character didn’t have a full name aside from Detective, Crow, or Blackmask.

They would be performing the first meeting scene. 

Joker’s class had come to visit the set of Crow’s interview filming. Crow’s attention was first piqued when Joker was chosen to answer the question of whether or not the Phantom Thieves were just. Afterwards, Crow approached Joker and offered a hand in friendship.

Goro studied his lines intensely. His first time acting with Ren professionally. He wouldn’t lose.

The door swung open 7 minutes later.

Goro looked up, a smirk dancing on the edges of his lips. 

Ren stood frozen at the door wide-eyed. He was wearing a tight white dress shirt and black slacks, slim black suspenders, and silver-heeled black ankle boots. His blazer was draped over his arm (for when he got cold) and the smoky smudge of black and silver eyeliner outlined his eyes, brightening and accentuating them. His boyfriend was so fucking pretty it should be illegal.

“Goro,” Ren whispered softly. Goro shot him an alarmed look. They weren’t alone. _Idiot!_ “Akechi!” Ren hastily added, voice rising. The producer and director turned their attention to the two of them, staring at them with analytical eyes. Goro wondered if the chemistry test had already started.

“Ren Amamiya,” Goro replied quickly, trying to make up for Ren’s lapse. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs.

“I’m surprised to see you here,” Ren said, trying to do an unconvincing attempt at coldness. He crossed his arms and ankles, leaning against the door dramatically. “But maybe I shouldn’t be, considering you challenged me again last night.”

“Do you have a problem with what I said?”

Ren’s lips twitched. “Only that you were wrong.”

“Oh?”

“As I keep telling you, I’m the one who’s going to beat you, honey.” The affectionate term slipped out instinctively, judging by the sudden panic in Ren’s eyes.

Goro almost face-palmed. This was a nightmare. Maybe he should’ve told Ren in advance after all. He looked so taken off guard right now. It would actually be kind of cute if it wasn’t so disastrous. 

“We’ll see about that, Amamiya. Are you going to take a seat or are you going to keep standing there like a—” perfect, gorgeous, stupid— “fool?”

Ren rolled his eyes, pushing off the door and scanning the room. He bowed to the director and producer, greeting everybody. Goro could tell Ren only barely suppressed the urge to sit by him. Instead, he strode across the room to the opposite side of the ‘U’ table. They were facing each other in this position. Ren looked unhappy at the distance between them, and Goro internally frowned, disliking it too.

“Welcome Akechi-san and Amamaiya-san. Thank you for coming,” the director greeted. 

Goro and Ren nodded.

Igor, the producer, was staring at them with a spark of interest in his eyes, like he suspected something. Goro narrowed his eyes warily, protective of his and Ren’s relationship. Ren caught his eye, raising a curious eyebrow. It was nothing he needed to worry about, so Goro smoothed his expression.

After a brief introduction, the Director reeled off a little speech about his vision for the drama. 

“The relationship between Joker and Crow is the most critical moving piece here. We want to challenge the audience’s emotional and moral boundaries. We want them to fall for these characters and their love story. And make no mistake, it will be a love story. As concrete as we can make it without overdoing it. We’ll make the viewers root for Crow and Joker to stay together in the end, no matter the consequences. And then we wrench their heart out,” the Director explained excitedly.

Ren and Goro traded glances, anticipation weaving between them. Their first time acting together, and it was this kind of role. What were the chances? Some Being, whether it be God or a Demon, had to be on their side.

“Do you have any questions?” the Director asked.

“I did have one,” Goro said. “I was surprised my character didn’t have a name, aside from Crow, Blackmask, or the Detective. Why is that?”

The Director’s eyes glittered. He looked like a child at a birthday party about to break the piñata open and stuff his mouth full of candy. 

“Excellent question, Akechi-san! One of the ways in which we want to construct the intimacy between Joker and Crow is by creating a sense of privacy. They’ll have a relationship the audience is not privy to, which will only entice the viewers more. In the show, at a later scene, Crow will tell Joker his name, but the audio will be cut by the sound of a train. So to answer your question, your character doesn’t have a name because no one will really know him but Joker.”

That was clever. The more Goro heard, the more his desire to act opposite Ren grew. He wanted to crush him, turn Ren to putty with his acting skill. Most of all, he wanted them to change each other, bring out the kind of performance they could only do together. If anyone could drive his acting to new heights, it would be Ren.

Goro would make them the two ruling gods of the acting world. The power couple. He wanted the whole world to burn up in envy for them. 

“Shall we go ahead and begin the test?” the director asked.

Both of them paused, donning their mask and veil again. Goro folded his hands in his lap, switching to a stiffer posture, while Ren slouched. They communicated in blinks to confirm they were both ready before turning to the director, nodding in sync.

“Okay, start.”

The scene began.

“They do more than the cops,” Ren declared, smirk dancing on his lips. Goro could almost see the stage lights around them, feel their blinding heat, staring at Ren from across the room like it was their first time meeting again.

Goro laughed lightly, donning his brightest smile. The Detective Prince. 

“This completely goes against the opinion you had about them being tried by law, Akechi-kun,” the director said, reading the host’s line.

“Indeed. It’s rather intriguing to hear such a strong acknowledgement,” Goro said, reading his line smoothly. He half-raised an eyebrow, barely leaning forward to show his curiosity. The Detective Prince meeting his potential equal for the first time. “In that case, there’s one more question I’d like to ask. If someone close to you, for example your friend next to you… if his heart suddenly changed, wouldn’t you think it was the work of the Phantom Thieves?” He leaned back, challenge delivered.

Ren leaned slightly forward at the same time, like their two bodies were connected by a string.

“They only target criminals,” he said dispassionately, knowingly. Goro’s eyes widened. This is when the Detective would first begin suspecting Joker of being the leader. 

“I see… but how can you be so sure?”

The scene continued, energy pounding in the room the longer it went on. Goro could hear his heart in his ears, and he knew Ren was equally affected by the glow on his face and the dilation of his pupils. They had slipped into a completely different world, one with only the both of them in it, everything else fading to unimportant dull background noise. They threw lines and expressions back and forth like blows of a sword or bullets, attempting to both conquer and seduce each other simultaneously.

Every so often, the director would ask them to turn to a new page of the script and act the scene there. At first, Goro had felt a little uncertain, but one look at Ren and he always knew exactly what to do and how to say his lines. They were working together, playing off each other. They were on fire, and they weren’t even in costume or on the set. 

Tunnel vision. All Goro could see or feel or hear or think was Ren.

*

“Cut!” the director finally said, breaking the spell.

Goro blinked, looking away. The whole world was spinning and refracting. They had migrated out of their seats, circling each other in the center of the U as they’d brought each scene to life.

The director was staring at them with a pensive expression on his face. 

“You two,” he said, hand thoughtfully placed on his chin. “Would you mind hugging?”

“H-hugging?” Ren asked, startled as a ruffled raven. He sounded just as exhausted as Goro felt. 

“Just a quick test of physical compatibility. We want there to be a certain degree of physical affection and tactility between Joker and Crow.”

They turned to each other awkwardly. They weren’t used to being affectionate in front of anyone else. 

Finally, Ren stepped forward, slinging one arm around Goro. He tucked his head into the crook of Goro’s neck and Goro’s arms immediately wound back around Ren, one hand resting on his back. The tension released and they moved infinitesimally closer, their bodies slotting into place like missing pieces.

The director didn’t say anything, but they pulled back after a minute, looking at each other.

 _I missed you_ , Goro read in Ren’s eyes.

It’d only been a day but Goro had missed him too.

Slowly they let go.

The director was staring at them closely. 

“Can you hold hands?”

Goro reached for Ren’s hand. Ren interlaced their fingers subtly. 

“The visuals are perfect,” the Director said. “You both look good together. It’s the right image we want for the drama. And your chemistry, the way you bounced off each other in every scene—with every line, it’s absolutely astounding.” 

Goro preened, pride swelling in his chest. Finally having Ren at his side like this was sending power coursing through his veins.

“I think you’d be perfect for the role, Akechi-san. What do you say?”

Goro nodded, smiling. “Thank you so much for your consideration. I would love to take this part on.”

“I’ll coordinate with your manager to arrange the scheduling. If it’s alright, I did want to ask you both about something though.” The Director glanced at the producer Igor for half a second before turning back to them. “Looking at you both now, it doesn’t seem like your relationship is what the media portrays it as.”

Goro stiffened, suddenly realizing he was still holding hands with Ren. He wrenched away. 

“I do recall a few years back there was a scandal with Okumura Productions involving both of you,” the Director said.

“Most of that was blown up by the media,” Goro corrected, trying not to let his irritation color his tone. “Okumura-san and I were not in a relationship or dating at the time. Our fathers were keen on both of us being arranged together, but neither of us were interested. And Ren didn’t steal Okumura-san from me or anything as vulgar as that. Women are not prizes to be stolen or won anyway, so it wouldn’t have mattered. And to my understanding, Ren was not romantically interested in Okumura-san either. He merely provided her some emotional support during the wrong time and the photos were later misconstrued.”

“The fight outside the coffee shop?”

Goro froze. That had been a consequence of his own stupid jealousy. At that time when the scandal had come out, even the thought of the media thinking Ren was with anyone but him had infuriated him like nothing else. They’d ended up in a minor argument outside their favorite coffee shop, Leblanc. It was so minor they’d still made out in the front seat of Goro’s car right after and went to bed hugging each other. But the next morning they’d woken up to a media frenzy and two frantic, very harried managers wondering where the hell both of them were and what had happened. 

“That was exaggerated too,” Ren answered. “It was a minor disagreement but it was misportrayed as a spat.”

“So then what relationship do you both have?” the Director asked, raising an eyebrow.

“We’re rivals,” Goro explained.

“And good friends,” Ren added. 

_Understatement of the year_ , Goro thought privately. But neither of them were ready for a public relationship yet. The attention would be brutal. Not to mention their agencies probably wouldn’t be pleased in the slightest.

“Please forgive my curiosity, but why did you both not try to issue a statement or correction?”

“The damage had already been done,” Goro said with a shrug. “We tried, but people weren’t willing to listen. It was more fun to imagine the two of us dueling over Haru-san I suppose.”

“I see,” the Director said. “You and Amamiya-san are also more on the private end of the spectrum, so I guess I can understand your interest in keeping your… friendship to yourselves. I do want to ask, however, would you mind if we used your public rivalry a bit to spur some interest in the drama? I was discussing it with Igor and he agreed it might work. You two are known for challenging each other during your interviews.”

“That should be fine I think,” Goro said, glancing at Ren. 

Ren nodded his agreement. 

“Excellent. Thank you for your cooperation, gentleman. We’ll be having the read through, end of next week. See you there.”

**Author's Note:**

> Tashtash, I adore you. You are one of my favorite people on this planet. Happy birthday <3
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! This first part was mainly to set up their relationship! We'll get to more acting in the second part so please bear with me. Please let me know if you liked it! Ren's nickname is Venus because "Venus as A Boy" by Björk is one of my favorite songs and it always makes me think of Ren. Goro's nickname is The Prince for obvious reasons haha.
> 
> Special thanks to [Pana](https://archiveofourown.org/users/panaceaa/pseuds/pana) and [Luna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CrinklePuff/pseuds/CrinklePuff) for helping me!!! 
> 
> Full disclaimer: I tried to do some research, but I know this story is probably still woefully inaccurate since I know very little about the intricacies of the acting world, especially in Japan. If you could turn a blind eye, I will be endlessly grateful <3


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